Battery hand-lamp switch



A. P. PAINE. BATTERY HAND LAMP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.Z5. I9Zl. Y

Patented Dec. 5

.IIIIIIJHI' 5A 13 @1I/tom ma Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

UNITED STATES 1,437,416 PATENT OFFICE. c

ARTHUR P. PAINE, OF NEW, HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WINCHKESTER f REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, l' HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION OF CONNECTICUT.

` nar'rnnr HAND-LAMP swrrcn.

To all whom t may concern I Be it known that I, ARTHUR P. PAINE, a citizen of the United States, "residing at New Haven, in the county of NewI-Iaven,

State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in yBattery Hand-Lamp Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be 1a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to portable electric lamps comprising a casing, a battery, vand an incandescent rlamp mounted therein, and a contact device on the casing by which the iiow of current from the battery through the lamp may be controlled at will.

In a portable lamp of this character, it is desirable that the user shall be able to ash the lamp, that is, light'it for short periods of time, as in signali or for such length of time as it is convenient for the operator to hold his thumb on the Acontact device. It is also vdesirable that means be provided for closing the switch to light the lamp for a longer period of time and withoutpt e need for continuous'thumb pressure on the contact mechanism.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a hand lamp with a contact mechanisrn so constructed that the lamp can be flashed by thumb pressure on av push button, or can be permanently lighted by a sliding movement of said push button and its associated parts, but with the additional feature that there is a third position for the push button at which it cannot be depressed to light the lamp and from which the push 40 button is not likely to be accidentally displaced by a sliding movement, as when the hand lamp is carried about with tools or in the pocket of the user. In its preferred embodiment, the switch mechanism is 45 simple in design, is easy to assemble, is reliable in operation, does not project unduly, and possesses other advantages which will become clear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the 50 accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a hand lamp constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2is an enlarged clevation of the switch mechanism; Fig. 3 1s a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are sections similar to Fig. 3 but with the push button in other positions; Fig. 6 is'a transverse section'on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 shows the stationary or inner contact linger' of the switch with the escutcheon plate and housing removed; and Fig. 8 vis a detail of the push button housing.

In the embodiment illustrated, a battery case 1 of fiber or other suitable insulating material is provided at it-s bottom with a threaded ring 2, on which is mounted a bottom cap 3 of metal carrying a coil spring 4 which engages thenaked bottom of the lowermost dry cell 5. The uppermostdry cell 6 has its inner or carbon electrode 7 in contact with the inner lterminal of the lamp 8, and the outer or threaded terminal of the lamp is connected as through a reflector 9 with conductor 10, which may be in the form of a flat stri secured to the fiber casing by rivets 11 andp 12, as shown in Figs.'

1 and 7. The lamp is provided with a lens 13 held in position lby a flanged' threaded collar 14, which engages with a threaded ring'15 mounted on the front end 'of tube 1. Preferably the periphery ofrefiector 9 is insulated from collar 14 and ring 15 to prevent inadvertent lighting of the lamp when the hand lamp lis laid down on a metal surface. y

The contact mechanism by which the iow of battery current to the lamp is controlled comprises a yielding contact finger 16 stamped from the front conductive strip 10 and bent outward as shown in Fig. 3, so that it protrudesy into a longitudinal slot 17 cut in the fiber ofthe battery casev 1. This yielding linger 16 serves as one of the contact elements of` the switch. Enclosing the slot 17 and rivets l1 Vand 12, is an escutcheon plate 18 of the form best shown in Fig. 2. This plate has a central longitudinal opening corresponding approximately with slot 17, and around this opening the metal of the plate is offset, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, to form a longitudinal guideway. Mounted to slide in this guideway is a housing 19 having side flanges 20 and 21 (Fig. 6) engaging beneath the inner edges of theescutcheon plate to hold the housing in position while permitting itv to slide longitudinally of the battery case. Attached to this housing, as by a rivet 22,

is a leaf-spring 23. The other end of the spring is bent or curved at 24- so ythat it may serve as a contact element opposed to the yielding` linger 16. A push button 25 is carried by housing 19 and is normally held therein against an encircling flange 26 kby the outward thrust of the tree end of spring 28 on which the push button bears.y The eX- treme lower or free end ot spring 23 is adapted to overrun the lower. endvot slot 17 to the position shown in Fig. 3, for in this position pressure on the pushbuttonwill be ine-iiiective to close the battery circuit to linger 16 because the tree end oit spring-23 strikes against the fiber oit ycase 1 `andcannot enter slot 17 tar enough to bridge the gap between the Vopposing contact elements.

To impede tree sliding movement oi the housing along the case, the escutchconplate has pressed t-herein'two round` recesses 27 and 28 for engagement with a rounded pro.- jection 29 formed in the lower end of housing 19. Thus in Fig. 3 the push button and its associated parts are prevented tromvinadvertent sliding ,movement upward along the case by the interengagement of projection 29 in recess 28. v

With the switch in this position the hand lamp can be carried about in the users poclet or with a kit/ot tools with no ydanger thatyaccidental inward pressure on button 25 will close the c i-rcuitand light thelainp, and also with little danger that the switch will accidentally slide from this position to one where accidental lighting would bepossible.

But whenthe hand lamp is to be used, the push button `and its housing and attached spring `can be forcibly slid longitudinally ot the case into the position shown in Fig. d. In this position thumb pressure on button 25 will swing spring 19 into engagement with finger 16 and 'Hash the lam-p. VWith this setting ci the switch, the projection 29 on the housing lies in the recess et the escutcheon. But if continuous burning ct the lamp is desired, the push button and its associated. parts can be slid still iurfther 'forward into the position shown in Fig. 5, where the rounded liace 24tot the leaf-spring engages finger 1G, even without depression of the push button. Vith this setting 'oft' the switch, projection 29 lies in the end ol the escutcheon slot and so tends to prevent acci dental opening lof the oircuit.`

lln the embodiment illustrated, the escutcheon 18 is connected permanently to one terminal oiE the battery as by a metal strip 30 attached to it by a rivet 31 (Fig. 2), the lower end oft this strip 80 being bent outward and tucked under an inwardly projecting flange of colla-r 2, thereby making connection through bottom cap `3 and spring 4. with the lower or Zinc terminal of battery 5.

'It will be understood that the details oi' nieuwe the hand lamp may vary in many ways and that the switch mechanism itseli is capable of other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined yby the appended claims.

1. In a battery hand lamp, the combination of a battery case, a housing mounted to slide longitudinally thereof, a leaf-spring serviceable as a switch contact and having one end fastened to said housing, and a push button engaging the other end et said spring.y said pushbutton being inni/able along said case with said spring and housing.

2. Inl a battery hand lamp, the combination ot a battery case, a housing mounted to slide longitudinally thereof, a push button mounted in said housing and moving therewith, and aleai-spring having one ot its ends rigidly att-ached to said'housing and its other end engagingsaid push button, said spring being bent to serve as a switch contacit, substantially as described.

`3. In a battery hand lamp, the combinl tion oi' a battery case, a housing mount-ed to slide longitudinally thereol', push button mounted in said housing and'inoving therewith,`1and a. leaf-spring yhaving one of its ends rigidly attached to said housing and its other end engaging said push button and retaining said push buttcn in Vsaid housing, substantially as described. y

. 4. na battery hand lamp, the combina tion of a battery case, a housing mounted to slide longitudinally thereof, a push button mounted in said housing and moving therewith, and a leaf-spring having -one of its ends rigidly attachedto said housing and its other end engaging said push button and-retaining said push button in said housing, said springbeing bent to serve as a switch contact,`and meansvimpedingtree sliding movementot said housing and said spring and push button along said c: se.

5. ln battery hand lamp, the combina` tion oi an insulating battery case having" longitudinal slot, a conductor secured to shid case and having a linger at said slot to serve asa switch contact, an escutc-heon enclosing said slot and shaped to form a guideway, a

housing mounted to slide in said guideway andlongitudinally of said case, a leaf-spring having one end tastened to said housing, and a push button engaging the other end of said spring, said spring being bent to serve as a switch contact, substantially as described. i

6. In a batteryhand lamp, the combination of an insulating battery case, a conduc tor secured to said case to serve as a switch contact, an escutcheon shaped to form a guideway a housing mounted to sli-de in said guideway longitudinally of said case, a leafspring having onev end fastened to said housing and a `push buttonengaging the other end of said spring, said spring being bent to serve as a switch contact, substantially! as described.

7. In a battery hand lamp, the combination of a battery case having a longitudinal slot, a conductor secured to said case and protruding at said slot to serve as a switch contact, an escutcheon enclosing said slot and shaped to form a guideway, a housing mounted to slide in said guideway longitudinally of said case, a'lea -spring having one end fastened to said housing and a push button engaging the other end of said spring, and by which said sprin may be brought into engagement with sai finger to close the circuit, substantially as described.

8. In a batter hand lamp, the combination of an insu ating battery case having a longitudinal slot, a conductor secured to said case and having a linger protruding at said slot to serve as a switch contact, an escutcheon enclosing said slot and sha ed to form a guidewa a housing mounte to slide in said gui eway longitudinally of said case, a leaf-spring having one end fastened to said housin a push button engaging the other en held in said housing thereby, said spring beof said spring and ing bent to serve as a switch contact and being adapted at its free end to overrun the adjacent end of the slot in the battery case to protect the switch from inadvertent closing, substantially as described.

9. In a battery hand lamp, the combination of an insulating battery case having a longitudinal slot, a conductor riveted to said case and having a resilient integral finger protruding at said slot to serve as a switch contact, an escutcheon enclosing said slot and rivets and shaped to form a guideway, a housing having side flanges engaged by said escutcheon, said housing being mounted to slide in said guideways longitudinally of said case, a leafspring having one end fastened to said housing, a push button engaging the other end of said spring and held in said housing thereby, said spring being bent to serve as a switch contact and being adapted at its free end to overrun the adjacent end of the slot in the battery case and thereby protect the switch from inadvertent closing, and means impeding free sliding movement of said housing and spring along said case, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR P. PAINE. 

